Ladder hoist



Dec. 24, 1963 J. A. OSTRANDER, JR 3,115,211

LADDER HOIST Filed Aug. 17, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r I i llHIII ll John A. Osrrander, Jz

1N VENTOR.

BY MM 3M Dec. 24, 1963 QSTRANDER, JR 3,115,211

LADDER HOIST 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 17, 1961 John A. Ostrander, Jz

INVENTOR.

BY Wadi.

and? aw United States Patent 3,115,211 LADDER HOIST John A. Gstrander, In, 112 Hallock St., Jamestown, N.Y. Filed Aug. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 132,108 6 Claims. (Cl. 182-403) This invention relates to a novel and useful ladder hoist and more specifically to a hoist or lift mechanism which may be readily removably secured to conventional types of ladders.

When on a construction job, it is often necessary for workmen to carry loads of building materials up ladders to a higher level of the construction job. In the past numerous types of ladder hoists specifically adapted for providing a means for lifting load building material and the like up a ladder have been devised but most of these have had drawbacks and required special types of ladders.

The main object of this invention is to provide a ladder hoist which may be removably secured to a conventional type of ladder without modifications to the ladder.

A further object of this invention is to provide a ladder hoist constructed in a manner which will enable it to be removably secured to a ladder and readily transported from one location to another, by a single person.

Still another object of this invention is to provide the ladder hoist of the instant invention with a motorized and reversible Winch assembly powered by means of a reversible electric motor whereby the hoist may be readily raised and lowered by means of simple electrical control switches for the electric motor.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a spacing attachment adapted to be secured to the upper end of a ladder and utilized to maintain the upper end of the ladder in spatial relation relative to the supporting surface against which the upper end of the ladder is leaned.

A further object of this invention, in accordance with the preceding object, is to provide a lift carriage with means adapted for mounting the lift carriage on a conventional ladder construction and by engagement with only the longitudinal side rails of the ladder.

A final object to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a ladder hoist in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a conventional form of ladder construction shown with the ladder hoist of the instant invention operatively associated therewith;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1 taken substantially along a plane passing through the center of the ladder;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary enlarged rear elevational view of the portion of the ladder on which the lift carriage is disposed and showing the manner in which the automatic brake means of the lift carriage may be actuated upon breakage of the elongated pull member operatively connected thereto for preventing free falling movement of the lift carriage;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by section line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the guide 3,115,211 Patented Dec. 24, 1963 ice means which may be removably secured to the ladder and v utilized to laterally deflect the mid-portion of the elongated pull member; and

FiGURE 6 is a perspective view of the spacing attachment.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates a conventional type of ladder which includes a pair of generally parallel and elongated side rails 12 and 14 which are interconnected by means of a plurality of transversely extending and longitudinally spaced rungs 16. The longitudinal side rails are substantially rectangular in cross section although the ladder hoist of the instant invention may be readily adapted for use with ladder side rails having a cross section other than rectangular.

The lower end of the ladder 1G is engaged with a suitable supporting surface 18 and the upper end of the ladder is leaned against an upright supporting surface 20.

With attention now directed to FIGURES l and 2 of the drawings, there will be seen a Winch assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 22. The winch assembly 22 includes a reversible electric motor 24 and it will be noted that a chain 26 drivingly connects the electric motor 24 with a winding drum 28 which is rotatably journalled between side frame members 30 and 32 carried by the winch assembly 22. The side frame members 30 and 32 each project from opposite sides of the winch assembly 22 and include on one free end portion an outwardly opening recess 34 which is adapted to embracingly engage the upper portion of the lowermost rung 16 of the ladder 10. The opposite ends of the side frame members 30 and '32 are provided with releasable clamp means in the form of hinged clamp assemblies 36 which may be utilized to clampingly secure the side frame members 30 and 32 to the second from the bottom rung 16 in a manner which will enable the side frame members 31 and 32 to be readily removed from engagement with the second from the bottom ladder rung 16.

With attention now directed to FIGURE 5 of the drawings there will be seen guide means generally designated by the reference numeral 38 which comprises an elongated attaching strap generally referred to by the reference numeral 40. The attaching strap 40 is provided with a back turned end portion 42 defining a longitudinally opening pocket 44 which opens toward the opposite end of the attaching strap 40* and the other end of the attaching strap 40 is provided with a mounting flange 46 which defines a longitudinally opening pocket 44. A pulley wheel 50 is rotatably journalled from the attaching strap 40' for rotation about an axis extending at right angles to the medial plane of the attaching strap 40. It will be noted from FIGURES l and 2 of the drawings that the pocket 44 of the attaching strap 40 embracingly receives the uppermost rung 16 of the ladder 10 and that the pocket 48 removably receives the second from the top ladder rung 16. In this manner, the guide means 38 is removably secured to the ladder 10 against movement relative to the ladder 10 in all directions with the exception of upwardly and longitudinally of the ladder 10. However, the elongated flexible pull member 52 has one end thereof wound about the winding drum 28 and the free end portion of the pull member 52 is entrained about the pulley wheel 56* and attached to the lift carriage means generally referred to by the reference numeral 54. In this manner, the weight of the lift carriage means 54 prevents upwwd movement of the guide means 38 longi tudinally of the ladder 10.

The lift carriage means 54 comprises a generally L-shaped lift carriage referred to in general by the reference numeral 56 and including a support leg 58 and a guide leg 60. 'The guide leg '69 has a pair of generally 3: parallel U-shaped channel members 62 secured thereto which open toward each other and embracingly engage to slidably embrace the remote marginal edge portions of the side rails 12 and 14.

From FIGURE 4 of the drawings it will be noted that each channel member 62 is provided with longitudinally spaced anti-friction bearing means generally designated by the reference numeral 64-. Each of the U-shaped channel members includes a pair of generally parallel legs 66 and 63 which are interconnected at adjacent ends by means of a bight portion '71 Additionally, the free ends of the legs 66 and 6% are each provided with an inturned flange 72 which substantially parallels the bight portion 74}. Each of the anti-friction bearing means 64 includes three rollers 74-, 76, 78 which are journalled for rotation about axes extending transversely of the corresponding channel members 62 and generally paralleling the legs 68 and the bight portion 71). The rollers 74 and 78 are journalled for rotation about axes disposed at substantially right angles to the plane of the bight portion 7i) and the roller 76 is journalled for rotation about an axis generally paralleling the bight portion 70 and extending at right angles to the medial plane of the legs 66 and 68. The rollers 78 are journalled by pairs of aligned apertures 80 and 82 formed in the inturned flanges 72 and the bight portion 76 whereas the rollers 76 are each journalled for rotation by means of pairs of aligned apertures 86 formed in the legs 66 and 68 of the corresponding channel member 62. Thus, it will be noted that the anti-friction guide means 64 of each channel member 62. is disposed in engagement with all but the fronting surfaces of the side rails 12 and 14 of the ladder 10.

With attention now directed to FJGURES 1, 2 and 6 of the drawings there will be seen a spacing attachment generally referred to by the reference numeral 88 which includes a pair of generally parallel arms 9i and 92 interconnected by means of a transverse brace 9 Corresponding ends of the arms 99 and d2 are bifurcated as at 96 and 93 and each of the bifurcated end portions 96 and 98 includes a pair of generally parallel furcations 1M) and 102. Each pair of furcations 1% and 102 defines a pocket 194 which snugly embraces the uppermost ladder rung 16 at one end thereof. A lock pin 1136 is passed through suitable aligned apertures formed in each pair of furcations 1% and 162 and is utilized to maintain the uppermost ladder rung 16 captive within the pockets 1% and to rotatably mount the spacing attachment 88 to the uppermost rung 16 for movement about its longitudinal axis.

The ends of the arms Ni and 92; remote from the bifurcated end portions g6 and 98 are also bifurcated as at 1% and 1111. The furcations or arms 112 and 114 of each bifurcated end portion 1% and 11%? are adapted to engage the supporting surface at points spaced vertically therealong and on opposite sides of the plane in which the arms 90- and 92 extend. Accordingly, the engagement of the bifurcated end portions 198 and 110 with the supporting surface 2% will prevent the spacing attachment 38 from rotating about the ladder rung 16 to which it is secured.

With attention now directed to FIGURE 3 of the drawings there will be seen an automatic friction-type brake means generally referred to by the reference numeral 113. The brake means 113 includes a slide plate 115 which has a longitudinally extending slot 116 formed therein. The end of the elongated flexible pull member 52 remote from the winding drum 28 is secured to the slide plate 115 by means of a clamp assembly 11 :The slide plate 115 includes a pair of cam ears 1213 and a pair of brake arms 12 2 and 124 are pivotally secured to the guide leg 60 as at 126 and 128 intermediate their opposite ends. The adjacent ends of the brake arms 122 are disposed in engagement with the cam ears 12d and the remote ends of the brake arms 122 and 124 are provided with resilient foot members 13% and 132 which are adapted to engage the confronting faces of the side rails 12 and 14. Tension springs 134 and 136 are secured between the guide leg 60 and the brake arms 122 and 124 to normally urge the foot members 13 6) and 132 into frictional engagement with the confronting faces of the side rails 12 and 14. However, the pin and slot connection defined by the pin 138 which is slidingly received in the slot 116 enables the cam cars 12% to be moved upwardly relative to the carriage means 54 a sufiicient distance to cam the brake arms 122 and 12 out of engagement with the side rails 12 and 14 upon tension being placed on the pull member 52. However, should the pull member 52 break, the tension springs 134 and 136 will urge the brake arms 122 and 124 into positions with the foot members 139 and 132 respectively disposed in tight frictional engagement with the confronting faces of the rails 12 and 14. Ac cordingly, automatic friction type brake means is provided for preventing free falling movement of the carriage means 54.

A suitable control assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 14:} and includes a pair of switches 142 and 144 which are operatively connected to the electric motor 24 by means of an electrical conduit 146 whereby the switches 142 and 14 4 may be utilized to actuate rotation of the winding drum 2%) in selected opposite directions. The winch assembly 22 is provided with a brake mechanism (not shown) normally preventing operation of the motor 2 but electric-ally released upon operation of either of the switches 142 and 14d and limit switches (not shown) automatically limiting rotation of the winding drum in each direction.

The spacing attachment SS is used to hold the upper end of the ladder 16]) away from the surf-ace 219 in order that the upper ends of the channel member 62 may pass beyond the upper end of the ladder.

The varms 9t and 92 are secured to and in adjusted positions along the bar 38 by means of setscrews 93 and it may be noted that a source of power other than the electric motor 24- may be used such as an inte-rnm combustion engine or a hand operated gear assembly.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with an upright conventional ladder of the type including a pair of generally parallel and longitudinally extending side rails mterconnected by means of a plurality of laterally spaced ladder rungs extending between said side rails at points spaced longitudinally therealong, a carriage disp sed on one side of said ladder and hicluding a pair of elongated generally parallel channel members opening toward each other and slidingly embracing the remote marginal edge portions of said side rails removably mounting said carriage on said ladder for movement longitudinally therealong with said carriage readily disengageable from said ladder upon sliding movement of said carriage off one end of said ladder, a winch assembly including a winding drum having one end of a flexible pull member wound thereabout, said winch assembly including means removably securing said winch assembly between the lower ends of said side rails and to and between adjacent ones of said rungs, guide means inciuding means removably securing said guide means to the upper ends of said ladder between said side rails and from adjacent ones of said rungs, the free end of said pull member being secured to carriage, said guide means including anti-friction means engaged with and laterally deflecting the pull mend-er between said carriage and said drum forming two generally parallel reaches of said pull member whereby the winding of said pull member on said drum will raise said carriage on said ladder, said winch assembly and guide means being free of connection with said side rails thereby presenting no obstacles to the movement of said carriage along said side rails, an elongated spacing attachment having means on one end removably and pivotally securing said attachment to any one of the rungs of said ladder between the side rails thereof for movement about an axis generally paralleling said rungs and extending trans ersely of said attachment and the other end of said attachment projecting outwardly away from the other side of said ladder, a pair of diverging arms on the other end of said attachment including free ends disposed on opposite sides of the plane containing said axis and extending along the longitudinal center line of said attachment, said free end of said arms being adapted to engage the opposing surface of a building stiuoture against which said ladder is leaned.

2. In combination with an upright conventional ladder of the type including a pair of generally parallel and longitudinally extending side rails interconnected by means of a plurality of laterally spaced ladder rungs extending between said side rails at points spaced longtiudinally therealong, a carriage disposed on one side of said ladder and including guide means defining a pair of elongated generally parallel channels opening toward each other and slidably receiving the remote marginal edge portions of said side rails, an elongated spacing attachment having means on one end removably and pivotally securing said attachment to any one of the rungs of said ladder between the side rails thereof, the other end of said attachment projecting outwardly away from the other side of said ladder and including means adapted to engage the surface of a building structure toward which said ladder is leaned.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the last-mentioned means includes a plurality of arms extending away from said one end of said attachment and including free ends disposed above and below a plane generally paralleling said rungs and containing said attachment.

4. In combination with an upright conventional ladder of the type including a pair of generally parallel and longitudinally extending side rails interconnected by means of a plurality of laterally spaced rungs spaced longitudinally therealong, a carriage mounted on and slidably supported by the remote marginal edge portions of said rails for movement longitudinally along the latter, a winch assembly including a Winding drum having one end of a flexible pull member wound thereabout, said winch assembly including means removably securing said winch assembly between the lower ends of said side rails and to adjacent ones of said rungs, said winch assembly includes a pair of generally parallel upstanding side frame members between which said winding drum is rotatably journaled, one pair of corresponding ends of said side frame members having aligned generally longitudinally outwardly opening recesses formed therein snugly receiving one of said adjacent iungs, the other pair of corresponding ends of said side frame members including clamp assemblies defining aligned openings in which the other of said adjacent rungs is removably secured.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said carriage includes automatic wedge act-ion friction-type brake means engageable with said side rails to prevent movement of said carriage means toward said lower end of said ladder upon breaking of said pull member.

6. The combination of claim 4 wherein said winch assembly includes reversible motor means drivingly connected to said winding drum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 107,225 Clafiin Sept. 13, 1870 976,240 Winkler Nov. 22, 1910 2,249,900 Honig July 22, 1941 2,338,833 Bailey Jan. 11, 1944 2,396,070 Zeno Mar. 5, 1946 2,438,791 Russell Mar. 30, 1948 2,459,621 Oobb Jan. 18, 1949 2,592,006 Burke Apr. 8, 1952 2,710,129 Telech June 7, 1955 2,720,354- Stanley Oct. 11, "1955 2,806,642 Miele Sept. 17, 11957 2,855,072 Drummond Oct. 7, 1958 2,934,162 Ladewski Apr. 26, 1960 2,943,708 Sasgen July 5, 1960 3,037,579 Barrow June 5, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 16 1,70 2 Great Britain Apr. 18, 1921 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH AN UPRIGHT CONVENTIONAL LADDER OF THE TYPE INCLUDING A PAIR OF GENERALLY PARALLEL AND LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SIDE RAILS INTERCONNECTED BY MEANS OF A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY SPACED LADDER RUNGS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SIDE RAILS AT POINTS SPACED LONGITUDINALLY THEREALONG, A CARRIAGE DISPOSED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID LADDER AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF ELONGATED GENERALLY PARALLEL CHANNEL MEMBERS OPENING TOWARD EACH OTHER AND SLIDINGLY EMBRACING THE REMOTE MARGINAL EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID SIDE RAILS REMOVABLY MOUNTING SAID CARRIAGE ON SAID LADDER FOR MOVEMENT LONGITUDINALLY THEREALONG WITH SAID CARRIAGE READILY DISENGAGEABLE FROM SAID LADDER UPON SLIDING MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE OFF ONE END OF SAID LADDER, A WINCH ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A WINDING DRUM HAVING ONE END OF A FLEXIBLE PULL MEMBER WOUND THEREABOUT, SAID WINCH ASSEMBLY INCLUDING MEANS REMOVABLY SECURING SAID WINCH ASSEMBLY BETWEEN THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID SIDE RAILS AND TO AND BETWEEN ADJACENT ONES OF SAID RUNGS, GUIDE MEANS INCLUDING MEANS REMOVABLY SECURING SAID GUIDE MEANS TO THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID LADDER BETWEEN SAID SIDE RAILS AND FROM ADJACENT ONES OF SAID RUNGS, THE FREE END OF SAID PULL MEMBER BEING SECURED TO SAID CARRIAGE, SAID GUIDE MEANS INCLUDING ANTI-FRICTION MEANS ENGAGED WITH AND LATERALLY DEFLECTING THE PULL MEMBER BETWEEN SAID CARRIAGE AND SAID DRUM FORMING TWO GENERALLY PARALLEL REACHES OF SAID PULL MEMBER WHEREBY THE WINDING OF SAID PULL MEMBER ON SAID DRUM WILL RAISE SAID CARRIAGE ON SAID LADDER, SAID WINCH ASSEMBLY AND GUIDE MEANS BEING FREE OF CONNECTION WITH SAID SIDE RAILS THEREBY PRESENTING NO OBSTACLES TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE ALONG SAID SIDE RAILS, AN ELONGATED SPACING ATTACHMENT HAVING MEANS ON ONE END REMOVABLY AND PIVOTALLY SECURING SAID ATTACHMENT TO ANY ONE OF THE RUNGS OF SAID LADDER BETWEEN THE SIDE RAILS THEREOF FOR MOVEMENT ABOUT AN AXIS GENERALLY PARALLELING SAID RUNGS AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID ATTACHMENT AND THE OTHER END OF SAID ATTACHMENT PROJECTING OUTWARDLY AWAY FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID LADDER, A PAIR OF DIVERGING ARMS ON THE OTHER END OF SAID ATTACHMENT INCLUDING FREE ENDS DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PLANE CONTAINING SAID AXIS AND EXTENDING ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER LINE OF SAID ATTACHMENT, SAID FREE END OF SAID ARMS BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE OPPOSING SURFACE OF A BUILDING STRUCTURE AGAINST WHICH SAID LADDER IS LEANED. 